(00:30) Ben Hall gave a talk at NDC London in which he deployed Nerd Dinner and MVC Music Store 2.0 to Docker using Windows Containers.

(00:52) Jon says that Docker has been primarily Linux focused and asks how Windows fits in here. Ben explains the history of Docker and Windows Docker support on Windows Server.

(01:40) Jon asks how this works if you’re not developing on Windows Server.

(02:23) Jon asks why anyone would want to deploy Windows based applications using Docker. Ben talks about some advantages, including automation, tooling, and a standard approach to packaging and deploying applications – including applications that weren’t built with any thought of containers or automated deployment.

(04:30) Jon says that all the hype he’s seen related to ASP.NET on Docker are talking about ASP.NET Core. Ben talks about why non-Core apps on Docker are relevant.

(05:29) Jon asks how this compares to the traditional approach to just deploying using Hyper-V and full virtual machines. Ben describes some of the inefficiencies and just general heaviness around deploying an entire VM for an application, vs. lightweight container. Ben and Jon talk about some of the benefits, including deployment documentation as executable source code. Ben talks about the advantages of automating deployment of a set of resources using Docker Compose, as well.

(11:20) Jon asks how Hyper-V containers fit in. Ben talks about the security and isolation advantages due to having a separate kernel, especially when you’re dealing with a multi-tenant scenario.

Katacoda

(13:20) Jon asks about Ben’s recent experience with this due to deploying Katacoda. Ben describes how Katacoda, an online interactive learning platform for software developers. It leverages Docker to allow you to give you a terminal in a web page to let you start hacking and learning quickly.

(14:14) Jon asks about the business model for Katacoda. Ben explains that their main model is working with vendors, making it easier for their customers or potential customers to try out products with no install. They’re also working on versions for training, which eliminates the time and uncertainty of getting everyone’s machine configured.

(15:18) Jon asks what’s next, and Ben says the next big thing is Azure Container service – using Kubernetes to configure clusters across operating systems, optimizing for cost, etc.

What do you do for fun?

(16:20) Jon asks what Ben does for fun, and Ben reminds him that he runs a startup.